NIA gets court nod to attach property of 2008 Malegaon blast accused Kalsangra

Special judge AK Lahoti, while pronouncing the order, observed that his predecessor had issued a warrant against Kalsangra, which could not be executed as the accused was absconding and concealing his presence

MUMBAI: A special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court on Thursday issued a warrant for attachment of property of absconding accused Ramchandra Kalsangra, one of the prime and wanted accused in the Malegaon 2008 blasts case.

Six people were killed and 101 were injured on September 29, 2008, when a powerful explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque at Malegaon town in Nashik district, located about 200 kilometres from Mumbai.

Six people were killed and 101 were injured on September 29, 2008, when a powerful explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque at Malegaon town in Nashik district, located about 200 kilometres from Mumbai.

Special judge AK Lahoti, while pronouncing the order, observed that his predecessor had issued a warrant against Kalsangra, which could not be executed as the accused was absconding and concealing his presence.

“Thereafter, the order of issue of the proclamation had been passed. Even after the promulgation of the proclamation, the accused did not turn up before this court. Therefore, as per section 83, a warrant of attachment is issued to attach the property of absconding accused Ramchandra Gopalsingh Kalsangra,” said the court.

According to the prosecution, Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange, both residents of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, had planted the bomb on Sadhvi Pragya Thakur’s bike that Kalsangra was using for two years before the blast.

On September 14, last year, the prosecution closed its evidence against the seven accused – BJP MP Sadhwi Pragyasingh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni. It examined 323 witnesses in proving its case against the accused, and 37 of them turned hostile.

The trial court also recorded statements of the accused under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code – to allow them to explain the circumstances and evidence brought against them during the trial.